


Troubles are Lighter When Shared

by papersandals (laronmi)



Series: Elibe Modern Verse [2]
Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-04
Updated: 2012-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-30 14:10:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laronmi/pseuds/papersandals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Hector's friends don't tell him anything. Then again, Hector doesn't tell them things like his brother has taken in a pair of amnesiac siblings, so it's fair. In a way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Troubles are Lighter When Shared

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Samuraiter for the beta job. Written for the first round of the Fire Emblem Big Bang.

Lyn appeared distracted, gazing out the window of the coffee shop, stirring the straw of her empty juice glass, and giving only noncommittal "hms" as replies to the questions they asked her. Hector exchanged looks across the table with Eliwood, shrugged, and then leaned over to pull on Lyn’s hair.  
  
Hector heard Eliwood smack himself in the forehead as Lyn backhanded him in response, not even bothering to turn around.  
  
"Ow!" Hector yelped, letting go of her hair and rubbed his cheek. "Lyn, what the hell was that for?"  
  
"Hector, we’re not in elementary school," Eliwood muttered into his hand as Lyn turned away from the window, blinking rapidly as if suddenly startled awake. Her glance moved from Eliwood, who still had his face covered by his hand, to Hector, who was still rubbing the offended cheek with a dejected expression on his face. She lowered the arm that had backhanded Hector and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"I apologize," she said. "I guess I was zoning out."  
  
"Yeah, we could tell," Hector muttered. He heard Eliwood give a long-suffering sigh and saw him slowly slide his hand down to rest on the table.  
  
"Is something troubling you, Lyndis?" Eliwood asked, ever the diplomat. "We’re always here to listen, you know."  
  
"I know. I guess I’m just not used to being back yet," she said, tapping the straw against the rim of her glass. "I feel a little like when I first came here."  
  
"If you’re homesick a week into the semester, that’s not a good thing," Hector said, deciding that his cheek wasn’t going to stop stinging if he kept rubbing it. "Did you call your parents? Maybe they can send over some stuff from Sacae."  
  
"I already have a lot of things from home. It’s not about the culture, not really. It’s more— She sighed and let go of the straw, letting it bounce a few times against the edge of the glass before it came to rest. "Everyone is so independent back home, and here, grandfather is unwell, so there are people coming and going and always asking if they can do something for us. I’m not used to being waited on and being treated so," she sighed and flicked the straw, "specially."  
  
"Your grandfather is concerned about you. I’m sure that he knows this isn’t easy on you as well," Eliwood said, gathering the empty glasses and napkins onto a tray and then passing that to a server. "But if you’re bothered by it, then maybe you could talk to him about it?"  
  
Lyn frowned. "I do, and I have, but... When I arrived at his home two weeks ago, it look liked he had aged three years instead of three months. I know he gets lonely when I’m not at home, but his health is frail, and he shouldn’t be trying to shoulder all the burdens of the company by himself as compensation. I heard from Kent and Sain that Grandfather would go days without sleep when I was gone, reading through all the reports and paperwork. Half of the employees were in a panic because they weren’t allowed to do their own jobs. Sain had to go around collecting all the data that was coming in and hide it from him so that he’d have no reason to stay up and work. When I returned, his face had such a sickly pallor. He’s improved since then, but what will happen when I return to Sacae?" She let out a derisive chuckle. "Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload all of that at once."  
  
"Don’t be," Hector said. "We’re your friends, right? You should be telling us all about your problems instead of keeping everything to yourself."  
  
Lyn raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Really? Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?"  
  
Hector stared at her, face scrunched up in thought. "What? What do you mean?"  
  
"When were you planning to tell us about the siblings your brother’s adopted?"  
  
Hector’s mouth dropped open, but nothing but a choking sound came out.  
  
Eliwood turned to look at him. "Your brother’s adopted children? Does he have time to raise a family with all that’s going on?"  
  
"You," Hector finally managed to sputter out as he pointed to Lyn, "Where did you hear this? And, no, Uther’s not adopting anyone." He frowned and looked glumly at the now empty table in front of him. "He just...is temporarily housing a pair of kids—well, okay, the girl’s probably our age, but her brother can’t be more than eleven or twelve—while we find out who they are."  
  
"Who they are?" Eliwood said, gripping the edge of the table and leaning in. "You mean you don’t know?"  
  
"You just took in a pair of siblings without even knowing who they are?" Lyn asked, giving Hector a disapproving look. "Hector, how could you do something so irresponsible? What if someone thinks they’re missing?"  
  
"First of all," Hector yelled, throwing his hands up and inadvertently getting the attention of most of the people in the coffee shop, "I’m not the one who took them in—that was all Uther! Second, we don’t know who they are because they don’t even know who they are because they’ve got amnesia! Third, we’re trying to find out who they are because someone might be looking for them! Fourth! ...It’s complicated."  
  
Eliwood and Lyn didn’t look completely satisfied with his explanation. The rest of the coffee shop didn’t look too happy with his outburst. Hector groaned as Guy shuffled over to their table reluctantly.  
  
"Uh, sorry," Guy began, "but could you keep it down? You’re sc—bothering the other customers."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hector muttered. "We’re leaving. We’re leaving."  
  
Guy looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up shrugging and walking away.  
  
They left the coffee shop and went their separate ways before Hector could get where the information was obtained from Lyn. When he arrived at home, Nils was sitting on the sofa, playing some sort of handheld video game, and Ninian was seated next to him, reading something thick and boring-looking.  
  
"Welcome home," Uther said as Hector tossed his shoes towards the shoe stand. Uther watched the shoes miss the stand and skid across the floor, but said nothing of it, even though Hector could tell that he wanted to. "Good timing, by the way. I just heard from Elbert and Eleanora. They’re willing to take watch over Ninian and Nils for us until we hear from the police.  
  
"Huh. Isn’t Pherae kind of far?"  
  
"It’s closer to Ilia, which is where they were going to be sent if no one else volunteered."  
  
"Ilia? Cold, lifeless, there’s-nothing-here-so-we-made-a-tourist-industry-out-of-ice-sculptures Ilia? Really?"  
  
Uther sighed and walked over to the hall mirror, where he began tying his tie as he spoke. "Apparently. Don’t ask me why there, though. At any rate, I’ve got a dinner appointment. If Asthor calls, tell him I’ll compensate him for the cost of his alcohol and that I’ll call him tomorrow."  
  
Uther grabbed a light evening jacket, put on his shoes, and with a quick goodbye to Ninian and Nils, left Hector alone with the siblings. Hector sighed and turned to the other two. Ninian lowered her book and give Hector a small, fragile-looking smile.  
  
"I’m so sorry we’re so much trouble."  
  
"Don’t do that," Hector said, taking a seat in a chair that was unofficially Uther’s. "The two of you aren’t any trouble at all. You two could afford to be more trouble, really. I’m just sorry you guys are getting shuffled around so much."  
  
"We don’t mind. You and Lord Uther have been very kind to us, and from what we have heard, Lord Elbert and Lady Eleanora are kind as well."  
  
"Uh, yeah. Look, Ninian? Could you not call people lord this and lady that? It’s actually kind of creepy."  
  
She dropped the book in favor of covering her mouth with her hands. Her face flushed red, and she dropped her glance. "I–I’m so sorry! You and– You and Uther have told me this before, as well."  
  
"No, no, you don’t have to apologize," Hector said. Nils finally tore away from the game long enough to stare at Hector with suspicion. "I’m just afraid that people will, uh, take it the wrong way if you say that."  
  
"I know," Ninian said, still blushing and still keeping her eyes focused on the floor. "No one here speaks as we do any more. Everything about us—our appearance, our mannerisms—sets us apart from everyone else. I’m certain that it must not have been easy for– for Uther and you to have housed us for so long."  
  
"You're making us out to be more noble than we actually are," Hector mumbled, shifting in the chair as he sought the most comfortable way to sit. "We're just doing what we can to help you."  
  
"And that is a truly noble endeavor."  
  
An awkward silence followed in which the only sound was the faint noise of Nils's video game and the sound of buttons being tapped at a rapid pace. Hector let out a sigh and leaned back in Uther's chair. Ninian picked up her book again and read. Hector kept an eye on the grandfather clock and watched the seconds tick away. Ninian turned a page in her book.  
  
When the phone rang, Hector leapt up and ran towards it. He yanked the receiver off its rest and said, "Fitzroy residence. Hector speaking."  
  
"Heeeeeeectooooor," Asthor slurred from the other side of the line, "my favorite Fitzrooooooooy! How'sh your brother? Is he home?"  
  
"He's at a dinner appointment. He told me to tell you that he'll compensate you for your drinks and that he'll call you tomorrow."  
  
There was a silence on the other end so deep that Hector thought the connection had been cut. Just as he was about to speak again, Asthor said, in a voice that far too sober for one who seemed way too smashed a minute ago:  
  
"Again? This is the third time this month. What is your brother thinkin', anyway?" An exasperated sigh, and then, "Okay, Hector. Make sure he calls me tomorrow if he doesn't want to find his company knee-deep in debt collectors!"  
  
There was the tell-tale click of someone hanging up, and then the line went dead. Hector placed the phone receiver back onto its rest.  
  
"Why is everyone around me so damn weird?" he muttered as Nils jumped up and let out an enthusiastic shout about winning the game.


End file.
